The Highland Senior Center is concerned with its unreliable air conditioning system as a potentially record-breaking heat wave hits San Bernardino County.
Even though the center doubles as a cooling center, it hasn't had consistent, working air conditioning for more than a year. The regulars, like Dottie Horton and her friends, love coming here so much that they've become accustomed to the heat.
"I mean, we're just here for a couple of hours and we just suffere through it," Horton said.
With temperatures across the Inland Empire expected to reach the 90s and higher, the center's director, Penny Lilburn, said her staff has resorted to fans and open-door air flow to make the heat more bearable as the seniors have their fun.
It's not an ideal solution for Lilburn.
"Well, considering I'm supposed to be a state cooling center, it's tough on them," Lilburn said. "It's not good. It's tough on them. It's not good. It's tough on us working here, so I can only imagine how it affects them."
The senior center rents the building from the Patton State Hospital, which is located on the same property.
Patton employees came by on Thursday morning to fix the air conditioning but Lilburn said the repairs usually don't last long.
"It's a Band-Aid," Lilburn said. "I can assure you it's going to go down in a few days."
The senior center is waiting to get approval to put in a new air conditioning unit thanks to a new $140,000 grant it received in June.
They're hoping their current one stays on long during the hot months.
"Summertime here is really hot," Horton said. "We're grateful to have the air."
© 2026 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.